Battle of Saratoga - American Revolution - HISTORY.com Google September 19, 1777, and October 7, 1777 The word Saratoga is shorthand for two battles that gave the coup de grace to the 1777 British invasion from Canada during the American Revolutionary War. After capturing Fort Ticonderoga with almost laughable ease, the British army, led by overconfident General John Burgoyne, crawled south at a tortoise pace, giving the rattled Americans time to regroup under Horatio Gates. To support him, General George Washington sent Benedict Arnold , his best infantry commander; Colonel Daniel Morgan and his crack regiment of Virginia riflemen; and two brigades of Continentals from the Hudson Highlands. They raised Gates’s strength to about sixty-five hundred men. Equally important was Colonel Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Polish engineer, who built excellent field fortifications on Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River. Did You Know? To celebrate the American victory at Saratoga, the Continental Congress issued a proclamation for a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise," the first official holiday observance with that name. On September 19, Burgoyne attacked.

The fiery Arnold prodded Gates out of his defensive mentality, winning permission to lead Morgan’s men and Henry Dearborn’s light infantry into the woods to block a British flanking column. For most of the afternoon, a furious struggle raged around and across a clearing called Freeman’s Farm; Arnold poured in fresh regiments until the jittery Gates broke off the action, leaving the battered British in possession of the ground. After fortifying his camp and waiting in vain for reinforcements from New York , Burgoyne attempted another assault on October 7. Ignoring orders from the jealous Gates to remain in his quarters, Arnold joined the fighting and led an attack that captured key strong points, forcing the British to retreat to Saratoga (modern Schuylerville). There, surrounded by a belated outpouring of militia, Burgoyne surrendered ten days later. Thomas Fleming The Reader’s Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Tags Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga - Oct 17, 1777 - HISTORY.com Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga Share this: Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga Author Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga URL Publisher A+E Networks British general and playwright John Burgoyne surrenders 5,000 British and Hessian troops to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York, on this day in 1777. In the summer of 1777, General Burgoyne led an army of 8,000 men south through New York in an effort to join forces with British General Sir William Howe’s troops along the Hudson River. After capturing several forts, Burgoyne’s force camped near Saratoga while a larger Patriot army under General Gates gathered just four miles away. On September 19, a British advance column marched out and engaged the Patriot force at the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, or the First Battle of Saratoga. Failing to break through the American lines, Burgoyne’s force retreated.

On October 7, another British reconnaissance force was repulsed by an American force under General Benedict Arnold in the Battle of Bemis Heights, also known as the Second Battle of Saratoga. Gates retreated north to the village of Saratoga with his 5,000 surviving troops. By October 13, some 20,000 Americans had surrounded the British, and four days later Burgoyne was forced to agree to the first large-scale surrender of British forces in the Revolutionary War. Burgoyne successfully negotiated that his surviving men would be returned to Britain by pledging that they would never again serve in North America. The nearly 6,000-man army was kept in captivity at great expense to the Continental Congress until the end of the war. Soon after word of the Patriot victory at Saratoga reached France, King Louis XVI agreed to recognize the independence of the United States and French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, made arrangements with U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Franklin to begin providing formal French aid to the Patriot cause. This assistance was crucial to the eventual American victory in the Revolutionary War.

Related Videos Surrender at Saratoga Blog Surrender at Saratoga On October 13, 1777, Major General John Burgoyne initiated talks with American leaders. His confidence in the ability of Sir Henry Clinton to bring desperately needed reinforcements to the Upper Hudson was all but gone. A parley was arranged with the American commander, Major General Horatio Gates, who was so compliant with Burgoyneï¿½s terms that the latter general began to doubt the wisdom of seeking peace. He thought perhaps that the Americans knew more about Clintonï¿½s location and strength and were attempting to conclude negotiations quickly. The conflicted Burgoyne stretched the talks out over several more days, but finally agreed to a formal surrender of October 17. The following provisions were made under the Saratoga Articles of Convention: All forces fighting with the British were to be treated as British, sparing the German mercenaries in particular from harsher treatment. The surrendering troops were to be allowed to depart with ï¿½honors of war," allowing the units to retain their colors, but not their arms. In exchange for a promise not to return to action in the American war, the surrendering troops were to be transported to England and freedom.

At the appointed hour, the British troops turned over their arms to American soldiers who stacked them neatly in a field. The defeated army numbered more than 6,000 men, plus several hundred camp-following women. They marched before the assembled victors to the tent of General Gates. Burgoyne handed over his sword in the prescribed gesture of surrender; Gates held it briefly, then returned it in recognition of his respect for his opponent. The British forces were marched to Albany and later to Boston. The Americans, to their discredit, did not abide strictly by the terms of the Convention; they kept their charges in detainment camps for months before repatriating them. The Saratoga campaign is frequently cited as a major turning point in the War for Independence. Support for that view is bolstered by the following events: American morale was lifted dramatically. Washingtonï¿½s recent effort to prevent the British from occupying Philadelphia had been a failure and had many wondering about the prospects for their rebellion. At Saratoga, a new hero emerged, albeit temporarily, in Horatio Gates. The face of European diplomacy changed. France, the traditional rival of Britain, moved from providing secret aid to the Americans to a declaration of war against the common foe.

Spain, a fading European power, later followed suit. War opponents in England gained strength. The policies of Lord North came under increasing criticism following Saratoga; his ministry would remain in power until 1782, but critics were emboldened. - - - Books You May Like Include: ---- Arago: American Bicentennial Issue: Surrender at Saratoga Arago: American Bicentennial Issue: Surrender at Saratoga Up American Bicentennial Issue: Surrender at Saratoga On October 7, 1977, the Postal Service issued a 13-cent American Bicentennial issue, Surrender of Burgoyne (Scott 1728). The stamp commemorates the 200th anniversary of the surrender of British General John Burgoyne (1723-1792) to General Horatio Gates (1726–1806), commander of the American forces, at Saratoga. Designed by Bradbury Thompson, the scene depicts a John Trumbull (1756-1843) painting completed for the Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C., in 1826.

The central figure in Trumbull's painting is Horatio Gates, who refused to take the sword offered by General Burgoyne, and, treating his former foe as a gentleman, invited him into his tent. All of the figures in the scene portray specific officers. Trumbull planned this outdoor scene to contrast with his 'Declaration of Independence', which hangs beside it in the Capitol Rotunda. The multicolored 13-cent issue was printed on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing seven-color Andreotti gravure press (601) as sheets of 160 subjects, tagged, perforated 11, and distributed as panes of forty (five across and eight down). Mr. Zip, “MAIL EARLY IN THE DAY,” electric eye markings, and five plate numbers, one in each color used to print the sheet, are printed in the selvage. On September 19, 1777, the British army under General Burgoyne advanced upon the American camp, located within the present-day towns of Stillwater and Saratoga, New York, in three separate columns. Two columns headed through the heavy forests that covered the region; the third, composed of German troops, marched down the river road.

The battle that followed shifted back and forth for more than three hours. Though he held the immediate field of battle, Burgoyne had been stopped about a mile north of the American line. Shaken by his 'victory', the British commander ordered his troops to entrench in the vicinity of the Freeman farm and await support from Sir Henry Clinton, who was supposedly preparing to move north toward Albany from New York City. For nearly three weeks he waited, but Clinton did not come. Burgoyne's situation was critical, so he decided to risk a second engagement. In this second engagement on October 7, the Americans, rallied by General Benedict Arnold, eventually overwhelmed the British lines. Darkness ended the day's fighting and saved Burgoyne's army from immediate disaster. The British began their retreat northward on October 8. They had suffered a thousand casualties. American losses numbered less than five hundred. After a miserable march in mud and rain, Burgoyne's troops took refuge in a fortified camp on the heights of Saratoga. There an American force that had grown to nearly 20,000 surrounded Burgoyne's exhausted British army.

Faced with such overwhelming numbers, Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777. By the terms of the Convention of Saratoga, Burgoyne's depleted army, some 6,000 men, marched out of its camp "with the Honors of War" and stacked its weapons along the west bank of the Hudson River. Thus was gained one of the most decisive victories in American history. References: LIBERTY! . Chronicle of the Revolution . Saratoga 1777 | PBS SARATOGA, NEW YORK October 17, 1777 - A British army of nearly 7,000 surrendered today to a combined force of American militia and Continental regulars. "The fortunes of war have made me your prisoner," said British General John Burgoyne as he handed over his sword to his American counterpart, Horatio Gates. "I shall always be ready to testify that it was through no fault of your excellency," Gates replied. Burgoyne Surrenders News of the momentous British defeat spread quickly through the colonies and fueled speculation that the French government would now seriously consider entering the conflict on the American side.

For months, rumors have suggested that Louis XVI needed solid proof of the strength of the revolution before he would officially commit French military aid to the cause. The British defeat at Saratoga could very well buy that help. The end for Burgoyne and his army came on the heels of a long and arduous campaign that began with a stunning British victory at Ticonderoga. Burgoyne, known in the press as "Gentleman Johnny" began his sojourn in Canada. In an attempt to link forces with British General Howe traveling north from New York, Burgoyne sailed with his army down Lake Champlain, headed for Albany. They paused only to capture the formidable American fort at Ticonderoga. British expectations were dashed, however, in the American countryside . Burgoyne's cumbersome retinue, which included 30 carts of Burgoyne's personal possessions, and several cases of champagne, was stymied by the dense New York forests. History & Culture - Saratoga National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) History & Culture History & Culture A Crucial American Victory Here in the autumn of 1777 American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender.

This crucial American victory renewed patriots' hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world. 1777: An End to the Rebellion? Since the opening shots on April 19, 1775, the British had wanted to bring an end to the rebellion in the American colonies. They believed that 1777 could be the year. British General John Burgoyne had believed, since his 1775 arrival in North America, that the Lake Champlain - Hudson River Valley was "precisely the route an army ought to take" should invasion become necessary. That belief formed the backbone of the British plans to invade New York --a daring scheme to utilize three separate armies in an effort to isolate New England, the perceived heart of the rebellion, and then focus on crushing that seat of discontent. A large army --about 10,000 soldiers, Native forces, loyalists, camp followers, and others-- were to invade south from Canada into New York. Making their way along Lake Champlain to the Hudson River, they would continue south, eventually reaching Albany (a mid-sized port city and convenient meeting point).

Once in Albany, they would set up winter quarters and open communications lines with the City of New York, also in British hands. A second British army, led by Colonel Barry St. Leger, was to depart from Lake Ontario and invade eastward into New York. Upon arriving at the Mohawk River, they would follow it to its confluence with the Hudson. Somewhere in that area, they were to rendezvous with Burgoyne's forces. General William Howe and his British troops in New York City were the third element in the plan. They were to push northward into the Hudson Highlands, capturing a few forts in the south part of New York and giving American defenders near Albany the appearance of being invaded from both north (Burgoyne) and south. The American forces would, in theory, have no choice but to divide and address both invading armies at the same time. It was hoped the smaller American force facing Burgoyne would provide little resistence; the small American force further south would become stuck between then-British held Albany and British held New York City. Howe realized a potential flaw in the plan.

American General George Washington, whose forces had been chased out of New York City the year before, were somewhere in the north part of New Jersey. If Howe proceeded northward into New York, Washington could conceiveable retake New York City. His solution was to attack Philadelphia and draw Washington's army into open battle. Of course, Howe needed to keep New York City in British hands. He left his second-in-command, General Henry Clinton, with several thousand men to both hold the city and to proceed with the push into the Hudson Highlands. By August 1777, Burgoyne had successfully captured Fort Ticonderoga, defeated fleeing American troops at Hubbardton (Vermont), and taken a few supply depots just north of where the Hudson takes a sharp turn west. His army would stay at one of these, Fort Edward, on the edge of the river. Remaining there the month of August, Burgoyne sent a contingent of about 800 of his rented German troops toward Bennington (Vermont), only to lose these men to American militia soldiers in a battle on the New York side of the border. In early September, Burgoyne's army began their southward march again.

Soldiers marched on the river road, while many of the supplies were floated on boats down the Hudson. The Northern Department of the American Army, commanded by General Horatio Gates was keeping busy with its own preparations. Starting September 12, they began to build formidable defenses on Bemis Heights. This ridge of bluffs, two miles north of the village of Stillwater, overlooked both the Hudson River and the river road. Defenses at Bemis Heights were formidable indeed. Cannons there could hit the river and the road. Fortified lines on the flood plan controlled the road. The natural "bottleneck" in the river valley would funnel the British right into American gunsights. Nor could the British go east around the position, for the rough terrain there and lack of good roads prevented much movement. Knowing all this, the 8500-man American army also built a long fortified wall about ¾ of a mile west from Bemis Heights, and then ¾ of a mile south --forming a large "L" shaped line. This combined position, defended with 22 cannons, were well suited to deter the British from invading any farther.

The British, who by now had crossed to the west side of the Hudson, were only days away. The Battles of Saratoga On September 19, 1777, Burgoyne had split up his 7500-man army into three columns to sweep around where he believed the Americans might be. One column of British troops would move west about 2 miles inland and begin to move south. A second column of British troops moved about a mile inland before moving south. The third column, made of German troops, moved along the river road and defended British supplies. About noon on the 19th, scouts from the center column encountered Colonel Daniel Morgan's American light infantry and riflemen at the farm of John Freeman, a loyalist who had gone north to Fort Edward to meet up with Burgoyne's army. Thus began the fighting, which grew very fierce, as the battle swayed back and forth, each side taking and retaking the field. As evening drew closer, Burgoyne ordered about 500 German soldiers to move from the river and reinforce the British center column. When the Americans heard and saw them coming, they left the field and returned to their own lines.

The British held the field, but were unable to proceed. On September 22, Burgoyne got word from Clinton that he could send troops north from New York City at any time. Burgoyne expected assistance, and ordered his troops to dig in and await it. By the first days of October, Clinton's men had moved northward, capturing a few American forts. Part of their number also attacked Kingston, and a small number got about 30 miles south of Albany. By mid-October, Howe had ordered Clinton back to New York City to supply reinforcements for Philadelphia. Clinton had to turn away. Burgoyne's army grew short on time, supplies, and manpower; their now 6800-man army had been on half-rations for the last two weeks, and winter wasn't far away. On October 7, he sent out a 1500-man "reconaissance-in-force" with several cannons to probe and bombard the American left. The group was delayed in the Barber Wheatfield, as some of the soldiers were tasked with harvesting the much-needed ripened wheat. Around mid-afternoon, the Americans, aware of the British movement, attacked.

Their now 13000-man army was able to push the British back. As the British withdrew, one of their beloved Generals, Simon Fraser, was mortally wounded by one or more of Morgan's riflemen. British forces hastily fell back to one of their defensive positions, the Balcarres Redoubt. It was strong, well defended, and able to deter the Americans. Several hundred yards north, the Breymann Redoubt was not as well suited to the defense. It was also defended by less than 200 German soldiers and officers --no match for the nearly 1300 American soldiers attacking it. As some of the American troops began to circle around the left side of the Breymann Redoubt, American General Benedict Arnold arrived on the scene. Caught up in the flow of American soldiers, he rallied the men, and was seriously wounded in the left leg. By nightfall, the Americans held the Breymann Redoubt. As it was at the far right of the British lines, they could then get behind the British anywhere else from behind. They did not press the advantage, but the British still fell back to their own river fortifications, the Great Redoubt.

Simon Fraser having been buried in the Great Redoubt the morning of October 8, and having packed up what supplies they could, Burgoyne's army began a hasty retreat north. They trudged through cold rain, mud, and hunger until reaching the village of Saratoga. Finding themselves boxed in by American militia soldiers north, west, and east of the village, they set up a fortified camp and waited. Two days later, the Americans had completely surrounded them. After a week of negotiations, Burgoyne surrendered to Gates, on October 17, 1777. The American victory demonstrated that American troops could fight a European army, on their own terms, and win. It also convinced the French to ally themselves with the Americans and declare war against England. Later, the Spanish and Dutch did the same. This multi-national alliance turned a civil uprising for the British into a world war, as they would have to then fight not only in North America, but in the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, South Africa, and India --among other places.

Because of the incredible impact caused by the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga, they are known as the "Turning Point of the American Revolution", and are considered by many historians to be among the top 15 battles in world history. Battle of Saratoga - Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Battle of Saratoga The Story of the Battles of Saratoga “…one of the Greatest battles that Ever was fought in Amarrca…” Major Henry Dearborn The Revolutionary War is enshrined in American memory as the beginning of a new nation born in freedom. In this memory the conflict was quick and easy, the adversaries are little more than cartoon-like tin soldiers whose brightly colored uniforms make them ideal targets for straight-shooting American frontiersmen. In actuality, the very year of Independence was a time of many military disasters for the fledgling republic; the first year of its existence was almost its last. New York was the stage for much of the drama that unfolded. During the summer of 1776, a powerful army under British General Sir William Howe invaded the New York City area. His professional troops defeated and outmaneuvered General George Washington’s less trained forces.

An ill advised American invasion of Canada had come to an appalling end, its once confident regiments reduced to a barely disciplined mob beset by smallpox and pursuing British troops through the Lake Champlain Valley. As 1776 ended, the cause for American Independence seemed all but lost. It was true that Washington’s successful gamble at the battles of Trenton and Princeton kept hopes alive, but the British were still holding the initiative. Royal Garrisons held New York and its immediate environs, Newport, Rhode Island and Canada. Additionally the Royal Navy allowed the British to strike at will almost anywhere along the eastern seaboard. In hopes of crushing the American rebellion before foreign powers might intervene, the British concocted a plan to invade New York from their base in Canada in 1777. Essentially, two armies would follow waterways into the Rebel territory, unite and capture Albany, New York. Once the town was in their possession, these British forces would open communications to the City of New York, and continue the campaign as ordered. It was believed that by capturing the Hudson River’s head of navigation (Albany) and already holding its mouth (the City of New York), the British could establish their control of the entire river.

Control of the Hudson could sever New England-the hot bed of the rebellion-from the rest of the colonies. The architect of the plan, General John Burgoyne, commanded the main thrust through the Lake Champlain valley. Although the invasion had some initial success with the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the realities of untamed terrain soon slowed the British triumphant advance into an agonizing crawl. Worse for the British, a major column en route to seek supplies in Vermont was overrun, costing Burgoyne almost irreplaceable 1000 men. Hard on the heels of this disaster, Burgoyne’s contingent of Native Americans decided to leave, word came from the west that the second British column was stalled by the American controlled Fort Stanwix and that the main British army would not be operating near the city of New York. Although his plans were unraveling, Burgoyne refused to change his plans and collected enough supplies for a dash to Albany. For the Americans, the British delays and defeats had bought them enough time to re-organize and reinforce their army. Under a new commander, General Horatio Gates, the American army established itself at a defensive position along the Hudson River called Bemis Heights.

With fortifications on the flood plain and cannon on the heights, the position dominated all movement through the river valley. Burgoyne’s army was entirely dependent upon the river to haul their supplies, and the American defenses were an unavoidable and dangerous obstacle. Learning of the Rebels’ position, Burgoyne attempted to move part of his army inland to avoid the danger posed by the American fortifications. On September 19th 1777, his columns collided with part of General Gates’ army near the abandoned farm of Loyalist John Freeman. During the long afternoon, the British were unable to maintain any initiative or momentum. Pinned in place, they suffered galling American gunfire as they strove to hold their lines. Late in the day, reinforcements of German auxiliary troops turned the tide for Burgoyne’s beleaguered forces. Although driven from the battlefield, the British had suffered heavy casualties and Gates’ army still blocked his move south to Albany. General Burgoyne elected to hold what ground he had and fortify his encampment, hoping for assistance from the City of New York. On October 7th, with supplies running dangerously low and options running out, Burgoyne attempted another flanking move.

The expedition was noticed by the Rebels who fell upon Burgoyne’s column. Through the fierce fighting the British and their allies were routed and driven back to their fortifications. At dusk, one position held by German troops, was overwhelmed by attacking Americans. Burgoyne had to withdraw to his inner works near the river and the following day tried to withdraw northward toward safety. Hampered by bad roads made worse by frigid downpours, the British retreat made only eight miles in two days to a small hamlet called Saratoga; Gates’ army followed and surrounded Burgoyne and his army. With no other option Burgoyne capitulated on 17 October 1777. The American victory at Saratoga was a major turning point in the war for Independence, heartening the supporters of independence and convincing France to enter in the war as an ally of the fledgling United States. It would be French military assistance that would keep the rebel cause from collapse and tip the balance at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 – winning America its ultimate victory as a free and independent nation. The war also would reach to nearly every quarter of the globe as Spain and the Netherlands would become involved.

But more importantly ideals of the rebel Americans would be exported as well, inspiring people throughout the world with the hope of liberties and freedom. The preceding information was provided by the staff at the Saratoga National Historical Park. People at Saratoga The events of the battles of Saratoga brought thousands of strangers to the once peaceful farmlands along the Hudson River. Essentially two good sized “cities” moved into the area. British General John Burgoyne’s army arrived with some 7500 British regulars, German Auxiliary Troops, Loyal Americans, Canadian militia and small contingents of Native Americans. The impact of such a mobile army, including headquarters, officer and troop tents, weapons, cooking and baking areas, hospital, artillery, pack animals and more, engulfed an area about one square mile, from Freeman’s Farm north and west to the Great Redoubt. American forces were numerically superior - approximately 8500 troops in September grew to almost 12,000 by the second battle in October 1777. They too dominated an area about one square mile, which was located south of the British camps in an area called Bemis Heights.

Commanded by Major General Horatio Gates, the American forces included New Englanders, New Yorkers, Virginians, Marylanders, Pennsylvanians, Native Americans, Canadians, French volunteers and one Pole-Thaddeus Kosciusko. Women and children accompanied both armies, sharing the hardships and dangers that army life presented. Local inhabitants reacted in various ways to this occurrence. Some like patriot John Neilson packed up their possessions and removed their families from harm’s way. Others, like farmer John Freeman and his twelve year-old-son Thomas, elected to stay and fight for their beliefs: Freeman and his son serving with a contingent of Loyalists in Burgoyne’s army. For farmers, the impact of the armies’ presence on their land was devastating. Many acres of trees were felled to be used in fortifications or utilized as fuel. Crops, gardens and hayfields were used or trampled by the troops. John Neilson, whose farm was an American mid-level headquarters, suffered losses of crops, hay and many hundreds of feet of fences. John Freeman’s farm would be in the crossfire of both battles and irretrievably lost with Burgoyne’s retreat.

Following the surrender, Burgoyne’s British and German troops were forced to march back to Boston. Some were later interned, many sailed back to Great Britain under the promise they would not fight in the war again and some drifted into the countryside and became new Americans. Gates’ Continentals were dispatched to George Washington’s forces in Pennsylvania, just in time to spend a grueling winter at Valley Forge. The War for Independence would have six more years of uncertainty and danger for local inhabitants. Some, like John Neilson would improve his farm, be elevated to an officer’s rank in the local militia and raise a family on his very prosperous farm. Others were far less fortunate: John Freeman, having lost his farm, lived with his family as refugees along the shores of Lake Champlain. In 1778, John, his wife and most of their children died from smallpox. The preceding information was provided by the staff at the Saratoga National Historical Park. Building a National Historical Park The guns had barely fallen silent at Saratoga when the first visitors to the battle sites arrived.

Momentous events happened here along the banks of the Hudson River in 1777: a decisive American military victory kept alive the hopes and dreams of liberty for a new nation born in the turmoil of a Revolutionary War; dangerous ideals of freedom were placed squarely before people world-wide. With such credentials, it is no surprise that the battlefield has attracted interest of politicians, generals, scholars and everyday visitors from all over the world. Having spent the summer and autumn of 1777 dealing with British forces in the mid-Atlantic states, it was no surprise that General George Washington would wish to see the site of the Saratoga battles. Washington visited the battlefield at Saratoga when he came to the area as a guest of General Philip Schuyler in1783. Future presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison followed him, and the former president John Quincy Adams spent a day visiting while staying in Saratoga Springs in 1843. Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, different individuals and organizations attempted to preserve the memory of the events of 1777. The Saratoga Monument was completed in the Village of Victory in 1882, commemorating the campaign and American triumph.

Nineteen twenty six, with the sesquicentennial of the Battles approaching, saw the preservation of the Saratoga Battlefield under the aegis of New York State. The following year, over 160,000 people visited the newly established park. They viewed great pageant with a cast of thousands held on the fields in Stillwater and visited the 1777 home of John Neilson and a newly constructed “Blockhouse” museum. With improved roads, and a staff of guides at the museum, Saratoga Battlefield became a popular site to visit. National figures such as Admiral Richard E. Byrd, foreign dignitaries and descendants of many who fought at Saratoga, visited over the years. One particularly interested visitor was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Governor of New York State and later, President. During his term as governor, Roosevelt conducted guided tours for governors of five states that were his guests in New York. Visitors can learn more about the park by visiting The preceding information was provided by the staff at the Saratoga National Historical Park.

History On September 19, 1777 the Royal army advanced upon the American camp in three separate columns within the present day towns of Stillwater and Saratoga. Two of them headed through the heavy forests covering the region; the third, composed of German troops, marched down the river road. American scouts detected Burgoyne's army in motion and notified Gates, who ordered Col. Daniel Morgan's corps of Virginia riflemen to track the British march. About 12:30 p.m., some of Morgan's men brushed with the advance guard of Burgoyne's center column in a clearing known as the Freeman Farm, about a mile north of the American camp. The general battle that followed swayed back and forth over the farm for more than three hours. Then, as the British lines began to waver in the face of the deadly fire of the numerically superior Americans, German reinforcements arrived from the river road. Hurling them against the American right, Burgoyne steadied the wavering British line and gradually forced the Americans to withdraw. Except for this timely arrival and the near exhaustion of the Americans' ammunition, Burgoyne might have been defeated that day.

Though he held the immediate field of battle, Burgoyne had been stopped about a mile north of the American line with his army roughly treated. Shaken by his "victory," the British commander ordered his troops to entrench in the vicinity of the Freeman Farm and await support from Clinton, who was supposedly preparing to move north toward Albany from New York City. For nearly three weeks he waited but Clinton did not come. By now Burgoyne's situation was critical. Faced by a growing American army without hope of help from the south, and with supplies rapidly diminishing, the British army became weaker with each passing day. Burgoyne had to choose between advancing or retreating. He decided to risk a second engagement, and on October 7 ordered a reconnaissance-in-force to test the American left flank. Ably led and supported by eight cannon, a force of 1,500 men moved out of the British camp. After marching southwesterly about three-quarters of a mile, the troops deployed in a clearing on the Barber Farm. Most of the British front faced an open field, but both flanks rested in woods, thus exposing them to surprise attack.

By now the Americans knew that Burgoyne's army was again on the move and at about 3 p.m. attacked in three columns under Colonel Morgan, Gen. Ebenezer Learned, and Gen. Enoch Poor. Repeatedly the British line was broken, then rallied, and both flanks were severely punished and driven back. Gen. Simon Fraser, who commanded the British right, was mortally wounded as he rode among his men to encourage them to make a stand and cover the developing withdrawal. Before the enemy's flanks could be rallied, Gen. Benedict Arnold -who had been relieved of command after a quarrel with Gates- rode onto the field and led Learned's brigade against the German troops holding the British center. Under tremendous pressure from all sides, the Germans joined a general withdrawal into the fortifications on the Freeman Farm. Within an hour after the opening clash, Burgoyne lost eight cannon and more than 400 officers and men. Flushed with success, the Americans believed that victory was near. Arnold led one column in a series of savage attacks on the Balcarres Redoubt, a powerful British fieldwork on the Freeman Farm.

After failing repeatedly to carry this position, Arnold wheeled his horse and, dashing through the crossfire of both armies, spurred northwest to the Breymann Redoubt. Arriving just as American troops began to assault the fortification, he joined in the final surge that overwhelmed the German soldiers defending the work. Upon entering the redoubt, he was wounded in the leg. Had he died there, posterity would have known few names brighter than that of Benedict Arnold. Darkness ended the day's fighting and saved Burgoyne's army from immediate disaster. That night the British commander left his campfires burning and withdrew his troops behind the Great Redoubt, which protected the high ground and river flats at the northeast corner of the battlefield. The next night, October 8, after burying General Fraser in the redoubt, the British began their retreat northward. They had suffered 1,000 casualties in the fighting of the past three weeks; American losses numbered less than 500. After a miserable march in mud and rain, Burgoyne's troops took refuge in a fortified camp on the heights of Saratoga.

There, an American force that had grown to nearly 20,000 men surrounded the exhausted British army. Faced with such overwhelming numbers, Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777. By the terms of the Convention of Saratoga, Burgoyne's depleted army, some 6,000 men, marched out of its camp "with the Honors of War" and stacked its weapons along the west bank of the Hudson River. Thus was gained one of the most decisive victories in American and world history. Life of a Revolutionary Soldier Although many Americans turned up from miles away to fight the British, the Continental Army had continual trouble keeping its enlistment up. In times of need, the army might resort to recruiting slaves, pardoned criminals, British deserters, and prisoners of war. The lack of enthusiasm for enlisting occurred for a number of reasons. The colonists' previous experience with a regular army was that with the British, who were not very well liked, as the Boston Massacre had shown. Farmers did not want to leave their fields untended for long periods of time. States competed with the Continental Congress to keep men in the militia.

The pay was low and uncertain, especially in a period of inflation. No pension system existed to compensate a soldier or his family for injuries or deaths in the line of duty. Life as a soldier was not very pleasant, either. Disease was common; it would often spread through entire camps. The soldiers often slept under the stars, or when they did have tents, the soldiers might not have a blanket. They sometimes awakened from a night of sleeping only in their summer clothing and would see frost on the ground. Food was frequently scarce. Salt and other seasonings were amenities soldiers would almost always do without. When there was no food at all, soldiers went hungry for days at a time before finding turnips, nuts, or other subsistence. When soldiers did receive real beef or other meats, they rarely had cooking utensils to use. Nevertheless, raw meat was preferable to nothing at all. It is a wonder that the American side won the war at all. Written by Kris Donhowe with information from Private Yankee Doodle by J.P. Martin The American Army fires their muskets upon the British. The Americans are mounting a 3 pronged response to the 3 column British advance under the command of Horatio Gates.

In the first battle of Saratoga, the Americans employed no artillery. The Battle of Saratoga was extremely intense for an 18th century battle due to the fact that both armies had been well supplied and rested beforehand. Soldiers fired and advanced in columns due to the inaccuracy of musket fire. Above: The Neilson House in the American Camp served as the headquarters for Generals Benedict Arnold and Enoch Poor. Above: Scene from a Re-enactment at the Saratoga Battlefield Above: The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York. 17 October 1777. Painting by John Trumbull and taken from the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Saratoga Springs

Question: Name the English general who surrendered to American forces at Saratoga in 1777.
Answer: JOHN BURGOYNE